Short Term Memory Loss
by Ronnie343
Summary: Dolores "Dory" Martin has always remembered the man she loved. But now it seems he can't remember her. AU Human fic. Dorlin.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If I owned Finding Nemo, I may have gone with original plot for Toy Story 3. Maybe...**

* * *

She remembered.

She remembered when she found his son, twirling him around despite onlooking stares, proclaiming the now famous name in the air.

She remembered that mime, who did impressions of famous celebrities in order to make her feel better and directed them on their way.

She remembered the street gang who took them in to one of their meetings and stated their motto, "Thugs are friends, not criminals."

She remembered when she first met him, leading him on a wild goose chase before confronting him about following her and after his outburst, realizing she had made a mistake.

She remembered everything.

Or at least she thought she remembered.

Did she?

She shook her head. That was the problem with living with short-term memory loss. You weren't sure what you remembered whether you remembered them or not.

But he.

How did he do it? How was he the only who helped her remember...well, anything? Why was it only around him?

Why him?

She remembered alright.

She remembered as she stood there, watching him comfort his son after his brave dash into that burning building, while they were in the hospital room, just waiting. Waiting to talk. Waiting to tell him that he was the most amazing person in her life.

Waiting to tell him how much she loved him.

That never happened.

They sort of separated after that. Marlin gave her a kiss on the cheek as thanks and after that...she couldn't remember. He went on with his life. She went on with hers.

Over the next few years she dated to and fro. Every break-up was due to her short-term memory loss. None of them could handle it.

The only thing she wanted was to forget him. Maybe by settling down, finding steady work, getting a husband, even having kids, she could.

It didn't work.

Every time she started to forget him. Every time he faded from his memories, something always reminded her.

An orphanage.

Orange.

Stripes of any color.

The name "Marlin" being thrown around in a random conversation.

Especially anything that was a combination of orange, white and black.

Especially if it was striped.

And especially if it was a shirt.

That would remind her of the one he wore during that whole trip. A short-sleeved collar with orange and white stripes, the white lined with black stripes.

Then everything would flood back into her mind.

And she would find herself here, cursing herself for not confessing when she had.

Dory sat up in her bedroom, looking at the clock. 7:30 AM. Sighing, she slid off the bed, stretching, trying to remember where she left her slippers. Of course, once her feet hit the floor, she felt the felt of two pink bunny house shoes. Shuffling into the bathroom, she looked at her face in the mirror. 27-years-old and she still had learned not to leave her contacts in. Changing into a bathrobe, she fluffed up her hair and entered into the shower. Then she looked at the soap.

Orange.

Oh God.

* * *

"Dory, don't worry about it. It's not like he cares...wait, I mean, you know."

"It's okay, Marie," Dory replied to her best friend solemnly. "Thank God for coffee breaks."

Marie took a look at her best friend. She had black hair flowing hair that was arranged as a ponytail in the back and a fringe cut in the front. She had a small, narrow face with large brown eyes, small lips and a petite nose, Her slender figure was offset in a blue and white business suit and yellow heels. In other words, she was a beautiful young woman and she didn't even notice it.

"I agree," Marie stated, sipping her coffee. Despite the fact that Dory had short-term memory loss, she remembered everything she wanted to. It took Marie awhile to believe that she had traveled across the country with a man named "Marlin" to help him find his son, but she knew that was Dory dedicated herself to something, she was serious about it. Even if it meant traveling with a stranger to help him find his little boy. But what she saw in him...that was Dory's decision. She was only there to help.

"Dad!"

Both women looked up from their cups.

A little boy with short orange hair entered the bank. "Dad?" He turned around noticing Marie and Dory sitting at the counter. "Have you seen my dad?"

"Not that we know of," Marie answered truthfully. "What does he look like?"

"He has red hair, like me. He's not much taller than you and he's wearing a brown coat with an orange shirt and blue pants."

Dory's eyes widened.

"Not around here," responded Marie. "What about you, Do-?"

A lone cup sat at the counter. The door to the main office closed in the distance.

"-ry?"

"Ah, Nemo!"

Marie twitched. _Nemo? It couldn't be..._

"Aw, Dad!"

She turned around, her eyes landing on his father. He wasn't too tall, about 5'7", a little shorter than Dory. He had short red hair combed to the sides of his head, little strands sticking out hear and there. His clothes were exactly what his boy described them to be. He looked up at Marie, smiling.

"Kids, who can blame 'em?"

* * *

"Dory?"

Silence.

"Dory, you can come out now."

"I already am," Dory replied in the distance, emerging from the ladies' restroom. Marie sighed. "If you feel that strongly about him, why avoid him?"

"I'm not avoiding him," Dory lied.

"Oh, sure you are," Marie said, throwing away the cup and watching as the other employees entered their stations. "That's what it seemed like to me."

"It didn't seem like anything!" Dory nearly exclaimed. "At least I think it didn't. *sigh* I don't remember the real reason I left anyway."

"So, you wouldn't have to see Marlin." Marie smirked.

"Absurd!" Dory scoffed. "Of course, you could be right. I mean...never mind."

"You know, if that was his son Nemo," Marie stated plainly, "he probably heard me call your name. He might remember and waltz right back in here."

Dory nearly died on the inside. "Oh, no! I mean, Nemo, we've...we've hardly met. I only saw him about once or twice so why would he remember me?"

The main door of the bank opened to reveal "Nemo" and his father once again entering the bank. Dory's eyes widened and she started to stand up, only to feel Marie pull her back down.

"Oh, no," her friend whispered. "You're staying right here."

Dory cringed.

As "Nemo" and his father (Marlin?) stood in line, Dory busied herself with her customers, trying her very best not to let her gaze wander over to them.

To him.

She was called to the drive-thru to handle a customer. Marie, seeing the stress she was under, decided to call "Nemo" and his father to her booth. As soon as she opened her mouth...

"Next customer, please!"

Marie sighed.

Dory then stood face-to-face with the one person she didn't want to see.

"Good afternoon," she said.

"Good afternoon," he replied nonchalantly, fishing through his wallet.

"Nemo" stared at her rather quizzically.

His father pulled a checking slip out of his wallet, along with a fifty dollar check, slipping it into the tray. "I'd like to deposit this into my checking account please."

She gulped down a smile, keeping a neutral face. "Alright." Taking the slip, she quickly keyed in the account number. A small _clack_ diverted her attention.

"My ID," he remarked. "Just in case."

She smiled and reached her fingers into the tray, receiving the card and barely brushing his. Dory turned towards the screen quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Dad?" "Nemo" asked.

"Hold on," he answered, seemingly not wanting to bothered.

Keying in the account number once more, Dory shuddered when she looked at the screen. "Marlin Williams?"

"That's right," he agreed, nodding.

Dory force herself not to blush. She deposited the check and quickly gave him the receipt as "Nemo" started to get louder and pull on his leg. "Dad, Dad!"

"Have a nice day," she choked. "A-."

"Thank you. You, as well." He waved, not realizing that he had interrupted her, and left. On the way out, "Nemo" finally started to demand for his attention, pointing back into the bank.

Dory's face became completely blank, her mouth forming a firm line. Marie leaned over slightly. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Dory said, smiling to fool her friend of her true feelings. "I'll be right back."

Before Marie could say anything, Dory got up and left, expertly dodging other co-workers in her path to the break room. Silently happy that no one was inside, she closed the door and wandered to a far corner of the small room. After about a minute, tears streamed down her face and she slid down the wall, curling up into herself and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"He doesn't remember me," she choked between sobs. "He doesn't...remember...me..."

* * *

**This was something random I thought up while watching Finding Nemo for the first time in years. I remember thinking: wouldn't it be awesome if they were a couple? Then I thought (with the previous thought having no relation to this one): wouldn't it be awesome if they were humans? Then while drawing up some...designs this idea popped in my head to retell the movie with everyone as humans, but I had no idea how to do it (need to piece it together, maybe, maybe not). Then this one came. I'm not sure how well I did because I tried to show that Dory was still herself. And Marlin seems a bit cruel doesn't he? All will be explained. I plan on doing a couple of more chapters since I didn't plan it on being long, probably a three-shot.  
**

** References: Mime - The group of moonfish that gave Dory and Marlin directions to Sydney; Thugs: The group of sharks they meet near the beginning of the film (don't kill me for the motto).**

**Reviews welcome! But I don't like getting burned so no flames!**

**P.S.: All who are waiting for AIW: Once More, I'm still working on it and trying to get this chapter done. Expect it soon...hopefully. This was something I did out of boredom and to pass time.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I'm really getting carried away with this one, aren't I? **

** icearrows1200: Thank you!**

**BroadwayFanGirl91: Thanks! Now, you can get your answer. ;)  
**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If owned Finding Nemo...I probably would still write this. Just maybe...**

* * *

"Dad!"

Marlin ignored his son's call.

"Dad?"

He still didn't reply.

"Dad."

"Hm?" Marlin asked innocently.

His son rolled his eyes. "Can you help me with my math homework?"

"Oh, sure bud." Marlin folded his newspaper and tossed it onto a nearby table. He settled down onto the floor next to his son. "So, what's up?"

"This one..."

As Marlin helped his son with arithmetic, his thoughts drifted to when he finally found him and swept up Nemo into his arms, crying tears of joy.

His relief when Nemo awoke after his near brush with death inside the burning orphanage that he was almost sent to.

The fact that if he hadn't of embarked on that journey to find his son, he would've never been able to live with himself.

He smiled genuinely and chuckled to himself. If that hadn't of happened, he wouldn't be here.

Of course, he couldn't take all the credit.

He had Dory to thank.

Of all the people to help him, it had to be Dolores Martin.

Not that he minded...at first. Once he found out that she had short-term memory loss, things got a whole lot crazier.

She happily accepted the invitation to that street gang's (The Sharks?) meeting and eventually their friendship (despite being chased by the leader, Bruce, because of his blood lust once he saw Dory's nose bleed).

She was being hit on by that mime that led them to the orphanage (and he still finds himself irritated by it; no he is NOT jealous) and didn't even realize it until he pointed it out to her afterwards.

She even spoke fractured (and horrible) Japanese to an Oriental truck driver who he thought had kidnapped them by putting a sack over their heads and (with unbelievable strength) threw them into the back of his truck. As it turned out, he was only sneaking them through the dangerous neighborhood they were passing through.

All in all, her crazy antics led him to Nemo. And that's all that mattered at the time. But by the end of the trip, he felt somewhat different about Dory. She wasn't annoying, but rather a good and trustworthy friend.

Once the whole ordeal was over, he had no way of thanking her, for she wouldn't accept anything material as thanks, claiming the whole experience was good enough.

Somehow, his eyes focused on her lips, giving him a certain urge. He quickly shook it off, doubting that she would ever accept such a gift...

And kissed her on the cheek instead.

She giggled, seemingly blushing, and then pulled him into a long, sweet hug. It was pretty funny sight, due to that he was (and probably still is) shorter than her.

But neither seemed to mind.

Once they separated, it didn't take him long to realize that he had absolutely no way of keeping in contact with her. And may have had a bit of crush on her, since she was attractive.

He also remembered when Nemo asked, "Dad, if we can't talk to Dory, will we ever see her again?"

He could only smile and tell him he hoped so.

In the back of his mind, he was convinced that it was near impossible.

While Nemo was asleep at a motel they were in before they arrived home, Marlin pulled out the pictures that the surfer Crush had taken of him and Dory during their stay at his shack. Most were casual, showing a regular day at the Tuttle household plus guests. Others were comprised of embarrassing moments (Dory and him coming out the guest bedroom at the same time, Crush teased them for three hours), silliness (a water fight, Dory and him making faces at the camera) and even flirty (Dory and him pretending like they were about to kiss, supposedly lying in the same hammock when there were actually two placed really close to each other). He chuckled to himself, mostly out of sadness that the pictures would be the only way he could remember her.

And that he would never tell her of his conflicting feelings for her.

During the next month after he and Nemo got home, he fought with his emotions, telling himself that he loved her one moment and denying it the next. Usually, it was thoughts such as, _Maybe I should've kissed her, just to see what happens. But that would've been on impulse! It wouldn't have proved anything! But maybe I do like her...but how can we be more than friends? That's impossible!_

Indecisive? Yeah.

Classic Marlin.

Eventually, those thoughts died down over the course of the next three years. But sometimes they resurfaced at the most inconvenient times.

Like when he nearly ran into an elderly woman at the grocery store a year ago.

Or when a 30-minute informational program on a Pacific regal tang fish that came on last month suddenly became fascinating. This was most likely due to her outfit she wore while they traveled. (She wore a blue shirt with long, flared sleeves that were rimmed with black at the edges and around the shirt collar. A yellow pleated skirt went to her knees and she wore yellow-orange flats.)

Or now.

Perhaps that was the reason he hadn't dated anyone after they parted. But besides, who would be interested in a 30-year-old widower anyway?

_She would._

He pushed the thought back into his mind as he helped Nemo with the next problem. The 9-year-old then interrupted the session, stating that he had to "use it." Marlin didn't object, watching his son scurry up the stairs and shut the bathroom door behind him. He then pulled out a picture of him and Dory sitting in front of Crush's television set. She was pointing at a certain scene while he leaned in with utmost curiosity in the subject of her sudden outburst. Her hand was resting on his back.

_"Amazing, ain't it dude?" Crush approached him some time later._

_"What do you mean, uh, dude?"_

_"Little Blue," he replied casually pointing to Dory. "Something tells me that you got a thing for each other."_

_Marlin turned red as Crush chuckled. "What? I mean, we...you really? Of all things...!"_

_Crush laughed even harder. "Never mind. Just wait and see, dude. Wait and see..."_

Marlin sighed and shook his head, putting the picture back into his pocket. Why was it today? What was it about this day that reminded him of her so much?

Nemo's skipping back down the stairs averted Marlin's attention back to subject at hand. They continued where they left off. When Nemo finally figured out the concept and started the solve the current problem on his own, Marlin started to think back to his earlier problem, which caused him to think back to earlier situation.

Earlier that day he had been sort of irritable.

He didn't wake up to an alarm clock that morning. Rather, at 4:30 AM, he woke up to the barking of his neighbor's Great Dane. This continued for about thirty minutes or so until he heard the dog whine at being scolded at by its owner. Unfortunately, Marlin couldn't fall back asleep and wasn't exactly proud to wake up Nemo to go to school. In fact, he nearly resorted to screaming the boy's head off. Gladly, Nemo had sat up by then, rubbing his eyes and softening his father's heart.

Sadly, it hadn't softened enough.

Especially during work, when during a break, coffee was spilled all over his shirt. And he got yelled at by a female co-worker because she believed that he wasn't doing his work. And nearly got in trouble with his supervisor because a rumor had gone around that he was stealing from the company's funds. Surprisingly, he kept his composure during all three ordeals and they got straightened out soon after they started.

But it wasn't soon enough.

After picking up Nemo, Marlin ran a few errands, the last one being having to deposit a check into his checking account. Gladly, he had calmed down considerably, but was in a rush to get home. And with Nemo in tow, it wasn't easy having to ignore his son's calls. First off, the boy ran into the bank without even allowing his father to get out, causing Marlin to chase after him without grabbing the check. Next, he almost drove off without depositing it. Finally, when he came back inside, he didn't exactly pay attention to the transaction due to Nemo pulling at his leg and, wanting to get everything over with, passed the woman who handled the depositing his ID.

Nemo called his attention again.

Continuing from where he left off, he realized that he had been a bit short with her. In fact, now, he was certain that he had cut her off when he said thank you. A bit of guilt passed through him. Didn't she look a bit dejected? She probably had a bad day. He should've been nicer to her. Then another thought hit him.

_Why was it when I left that her expression changed?_

It was a crazy thought...

"Dad..." Nemo said.

"Hm?"

"What can we have for dinner tonight?"

Marlin put on a face like he was thinking. "How about pizza?"

"Really?" Nemo asked, perking up.

"Sure," Marlin replied. "You can ever order it. But not now. Finish these last five problems. THEN we can order pizza."

Nemo smiled and eagerly began to work on his homework.

_Wasn't it cheery when I first arrived? And why did it look so familiar? Did I do anything to hurt her?_ He shook his head. Nothing that he could think of...

Wait.

"Nemo," Marlin said quietly.

"Yeah, Dad?" Nemo answered, working diligently on the next-to-last math problem.

"What did you want me for when we went to the bank?"

Nemo stopped writing and looked at his father. "Dad, do you know that lady in the bank?"

Marlin shrugged. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Nemo fidgeted a bit. "I think that was Dory."

Marlin froze.

_Dory?_

"She sure did look like her," Nemo continued, unaware of his dad's emotions. "I'm done. Can I order the pizza now?"

"Yea...sure," Marlin said, somewhat overwhelmed by emotion. "You remember the toppings?"

"Yep!"

"Go ahead."

Nemo ran into the kitchen. Marlin clutched at his chest, breathing heavily, suddenly realizing what he had done.

"Dory..."

That was her.

And he didn't even recognize her.

He put his head in his hands. _Oh, no._

If she had remembered him all this time, he may just have ruined his chance to ever see her again.

And tell her that he loved her.

* * *

**I think I'm going to have one more chapter after this, ya think? I just may rewrite the movie with them as humans, probably to provide a backbone for this one.**

**References: The orphanage: The fish tank and fishing net wrapped up in one. Crush: That's pretty much explanatory. Japanese truck driver: The whale that takes Dory and Marlin to Sydney.**


	3. Chapter 3

**BroadwayFanGirl91: Satisfied, eh? I'm glad. But you'll have to hold your breath a little longer. It ain't over just yet. And yesh, I checked out your stories. Not too big on witches, though, but I think I'm going to watch the humanized one.  
**

** Gree: Thankies! That makes my day!**

**icearrows1200: Another shoe-in for the humanized rewrite!  
**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Finding Nemo, Coral would have obeyed Marlin, stayed in the anemone and died a natural death...okay, she still died. But at least they would've had 500 kids! **

* * *

"Dory." Marie approached her best friend, a look of worry on her face.

"Hm?

"I've called you at least seven times this week," Marie replied, somewhat irritated and worried at the same time. "You've been acting strange lately. Are you okay? If not, what's wrong? Please! Just tell me!

Dory only smiled as if nothing had happened. "I'm good, Marie." She turned towards her vehicle. "Besides, I don't even remember anymore."

Marie's eyes widened.

_She doesn't remember._

In other words, she purposely forgot.

Which also means she forgot about Marlin and Nemo.

And may never remember them anytime soon.

Marie sighed as she stood in the parking lot watching her friend leave. She knew that when Dory gave up on something as a lost cause, she had the ability to completely black it out from her mind.

And obviously, Marlin's not remembering her may have triggered that inside her heart.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't take too long for her to do that either.

Marie, quietly fuming, headed back inside the bank, going behind the booths. Turning on the nearest computer, she keyed in Marlin's name, quietly thanking herself that she snuck a peek at it when Dory was depositing his check. After checking his account history to make sure that $50 extra dollars had been added, she switched over to another tab which showed his general contact information. She quickly jotted down his address and phone number.

_Let's hope this works._

Running outside and nearly jumping into her van, she punched the address into her GPS and sped out the parking lot.

* * *

"Dad, are you SURE you're going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, Nemo," assured Marlin, putting on a fake smile. He held it for a few seconds, knowing that Nemo was hard to fool.

Somehow, his son accepted it and ran back downstairs. He had been on him for a couple of days, noticing that his father was somewhat depressed. He was right, but Marlin, not wanting him to find out the reason, kept it hidden, making up reasons to why he was actually down.

After a few minutes, Marlin groaned and ran his hand through his hair. In reality, he was a nervous wreck, mainly due to the fact that his mind had been on Dory all week. He had no idea whether she remembered him or not. And if she did...

He sighed and slapped himself in the face. How could he miss such an opportunity. Him, of all people!

The doorbell turned out to the perfect distraction from his doldrums.

Opening the bedroom door, he trudged downstairs, expecting it to be an old friend, or maybe even Squirt, Nemo's new friend, who resembled and acted like Crush greatly. Entering the dining room, he noticed that Nemo had already answered it and appeared to be a holding a small conversation with the woman who stood there. Somehow, she looked familiar, but she didn't look too happy.

"Would you like me to get him for you?" Nemo asked.

"Yes, please," she said sternly.

Nemo turned around, obviously not expecting his father to be downstairs quicker than he expected. "Oh."

"Never mind, then," she remarked with an edge that sent chills down Marlin's spine. She walked past Nemo and stared straight at Marlin, seemingly glaring.

"Nemo, stay here," Marlin said quietly. Nemo obeyed willingly.

They entered the living room, closing the door behind them. The woman sat down on the couch. Marlin, keeping his distance, sat down in a nearby easy chair. "So..."

"You are Marlin, right? Marlin Williams?" she asked with such clarity it almost made him jump.

"Yes," he asked quizzically, somewhat uncomfortable that she knew him already. "Why?"

"My name is Marie Chamberlain," the woman announced. "I work at a credit union some blocks from here."

Marlin raised his eyebrows, seeing now why he recognized her. "Oh. Is something wrong? With my account?"

"Oh, something's wrong alright," Marie growled.

Marlin seemed to sink deeper into his chair.

Seemingly noticing this, Marie sighed and smiled sadly. "I guess the good cop-bad cop routine didn't work, did it? Sorry."

"Oh," Marlin said, breathing a sigh of relief. "It's fine."

"Listen, Marlin," Marie began, her expression melancholy. "I didn't mean anything. I'm just irritated. By the way, do you know anyone named Dolores?"

"Two," Marlin admitted.

She raised an eyebrow. "Martin?"

"One," he replied quietly.

"Otherwise known as..."

"Dory?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah, that's her," said she, with a sigh of relief. "I'm her best friend."

Marlin remained speechless.

Marie stood up and turned around. "When I first met Dory, she kept going on about this guy she met a couple of years ago. Someone named Marlin and his son Nemo. I thought she was delirious at first, but after asking around, I saw that her story was well, true. Because of her short-term memory loss it didn't seem possible that she would remember..." She turned towards him, somewhat irritated that he had remained silent during her 'speech'. "It would help if you said something. I'm trying to make sure that you're the one she's talking about."

"Oh," Marlin replied sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That's her. Right after we met she told me about her memory loss."

Marie smiled weakly."Then you are him then. She deposited your check for you in the bank on Monday. If I'm right, she tried to say something..."

"And I cut her off." She seemed surprised that he remembered. He put his head in his hands, groaning. "I can't believe this. I was in such a hurry to get home I didn't realize how short I was being with her."

"Be glad everyone does this sometimes," Marie remarked. "But Dory, she was so intent on seeing you again, I think when that happened you may have 'jogged' her memory so to speak. Except it was in an opposite way."

"What do you mean?" Marlin asked, worried.

She sighed. "She doesn't seem to remember the incident. In fact, I'm sure she forgot. On purpose."

"On...purpose?"

She only nodded. "She may forget completely if she tried hard enough."

"Oh, great!" Marlin exclaimed. Marie jumped back. Then she said something he never thought that he would hear.

"I guess you have feelings for her, too, then?"

Marlin's face turned red. "What?"

"She really likes you, y'know," stated Marie with a genuine smile. "In fact, I'm pretty sure she's in love with you. When your son entered the bank and described you, she left. I think it was because she was afraid to face you again."

Marlin's face turned crimson. "Well...if you put it that way, I guess, yeah..."

"Just say yes."

"Yes!" he blurted out, not realizing how long he held it in.

Marie chuckled lightly, only to sadden again. "The main reason I came here was to ask for your help. If Dory has really given up on you as a lost cause...well, I already stated the reason earlier. "

Marlin quietly contemplated the situation. This woman cared enough to reunite Dory and him, just to get her memory back. That was nothing compared to what he had gone through to find Nemo.

Of course, Dory was there alongside him.

And he had silently swore to help her whenever he could.

"Alright, what can I do?"

Marie handed him a piece of paper. "Her address and phone number. And mine too. Tell me when you're headed over so that I can call her. I don't want her freaking out and acting tough when she isn't."

Marlin chuckled. "You've got a point there."

"I guess I better get going," she said, heading towards the door. Opening it, she turned around. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He smiled.

She nodded and left, closing the door behind her. A few seconds later, Nemo shot out from the dining room. "Dad! I heard something about Dory! Is she okay?"

"I sure hope so, bud," Marlin said, pulling him into a hug. "I sure hope so."

"Can we go see her?"

Marlin nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow, okay?"

* * *

Dory lied down on the couch, crying.

_I can do this. I just need to forget about him. Why would he remember anyway? And who is he?_

She smiled through her tears. Her plan was working.

Sadly, it wasn't working fast enough. Turning over, she groaned. A smell from the kitchen reminded her that something was cooking on the stove. She got up and headed inside.

"Hey, I don't remember cooking this," she replied, looking the spaghetti. "Oh, well! Whether I did or not, it's dinner!"

Her shoulders slumped. Her usually happy-go-lucky attitude didn't help at the moment, even though she really did forget whether she cooked dinner or not...

Forking the noodles into a bowl, she went back into her living room and plopped down onto the couch. It was better than nothing.

Just when she was about to start eating, his cellphone buzzed. Glancing at it, she saw a text message from Marie.

_Old friend cming over. U may or may not rember him. Treat him nicely, k?_

Dory raised an eyebrow. Whoever it was, he better...

The doorbell rang. Dory put her bowl on a nearby table. "Who is it?"

"It's...an old friend."

_Wow. What a name._

She opened it, not expecting to be met with Marlin and Nemo (who she didn't recognize). The little boy threw his arms in the air in excitement.

"Dory!"

* * *

**Don't you just hate it when you edit a chapter and it turns out that it had the same amount of words as it did before? Anyway, yes, I hate cliffhangers as well. Turns out I had to split the chapter, the convo going longer than expecting. So, yea! Don't have to end it...until the next one. :( And yes, it turns out I will end up rewriting the movie so I can provide a "prequel" to this one. Will take a while to get started, though. Also, I'm heading to Chicago tomorrow so I may or may not be updating in the next few days. So I just may keep you guys in suspense *heh heh*. Review! Remember, no flamethrowers!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**BroadwayFanGirl91:The wait is over! Okay, almost. ;)**

**icearrows: I couldn't wait either, lol!**

**Disclaimer: Finding Nemo was never mine! I really wish it was, though...**

* * *

"..."

Yep, that was her alright.

Standing there with a fork in hand, wearing a teal bath robe that hopefully had something underneath it. Her long raven hair going every where but down her back. Her tall, slender figure overshadowing him as always. Her large reddish-brown eyes quickly switching between Marlin and Nemo. The smell of spaghetti throughout the apartment.

Dory's face was a complete blank.

Marlin's was as well.

Nemo's, on the other hand, glowed.

"Dory!"

It was too late not to say anything.

Dory blinked.

"Dory?" Marlin asked quietly.

"Um..." She fidgeted. "...do I know you?"

Marlin sighed, remembering Marie's warning.

"Marlin," remarked he.

"Marlin who?"

"My name. Marlin Williams. And this is my son, Nemo."

"...I think...Nope, sorry, doesn't ring a bell," she admitted, truthfully.

Marlin's face slowly fell.

"Dory?" a little voice asked.

Her attention turned to Nemo, who had a sad expression on his face.

"Don't...don't you remember us?" he asked, wringing his hands together, showing that he remembered her short term memory. "Cause we remember you..."

Dory smiled. There was something familiar about Nemo that screamed at her to let them in. "Well...maybe a little..."

Nemo's face lit up immediately.

"Well, then, come on! I'm not going to be a total stranger," she happily exclaimed, allowing them to come inside.

Her living room walls were a pure white. A baby blue loveseat and two navy easy chairs sat in front of a black entertainment center with a 32" flat screen. As Marlin and Nemo sat down, Dory emerged from the kitchen with two bowls in her hand. "Spaghetti?"

"Sure!" Nemo exclaimed.

"Um, yeah..."Marlin started, seemingly staring off into space.

"What?"

"Your um...*ahem*...robe..." Marlin turned his face away in embarrassment. Realizing what he meant, Dory blushed and turned around.

"Sorry," she muttered. "It doesn't come open too much, though. Thank goodness I have a towel on, right? I'll be right back." Putting the bowls down, she scurried upstairs. Marlin grabbed his and started eating.

In her bedroom, Dory slapped herself in the face. "Stupid! You shouldn't have a robe on especially in front of a man AND his son! *sigh* Anyway, what was I up here for? Oh, well, might as well go ahead and get dressed."

Downstairs, Marlin and Nemo ate slowly, one because he was thinking, the other because he was enjoying the taste. As they ate, Nemo turned towards his father.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?" Marlin asked between bites.

"Were you worried about Dory?"

Marlin stopped chewing. "What do you mean?"

"You know, before that lady came," Nemo wondered.

"I guess you could say that," Marlin sighed. "Why?"

"Oh, just wondering."

"Oh."

They continued to eat in silence a few minutes more.

"Dad, do you like Dory?"

Marlin nearly choked. "Of...of course I do. I mean, it's hard not to as it is..."

"No, Dad," interrupted Nemo, rolling his eyes playfully. " I mean, like like."

Marlin's face turned red. "Uh..." He turned towards his son whose face was a complete blank until he raised a eyebrow. "*sigh* Fine. Yes, I do believe that I may like LIKE Dory. Why? Something on your mind?"

Nemo shrugged. " Just wanted to know, I guess. And I like Dory. She's really nice."

"Hmph." Marlin nodded. He was somewhat surprised that Nemo would be the one encouraging him to pursue Dory, especially since Coral died.

Coral.

Marlin's heart ached for his late wife. But he also knew that she would never be angry at him if he took the chance. She'd want him to move on so he could be happy.

A closing door diverted their attention. Dory, who now had on an over-sized sweater and yellow shorts, jogged downstairs and sat down in a nearby chair. Grabbing her bowl, she turned towards them with interest piqued.

"I hope I didn't take too long," she remarked, smiling.

"Oh no, it's fine," Marlin replied truthfully.

Dory chuckled and they ate, engaging in small talk for about 10 minutes (much which included Marlin and Nemo reminding Dory of what the topic was). Finally, she sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped. Noticing this, Marlin sat up and looked at her.

"You can only hold it in for so long," she muttered.

"What?"

"I have a short-term memory loss," Dory stated. "And I know I want to forget someone, but I can't. I just can't. I don't even remember his name but I remember him! And it hurts to remember, to even think..."

"How?" Marlin asked, concern slowly rising.

"That's the thing. I don't even remember." Dory shrugged.

"Well, was he a bad guy?"

"No."

"Did he hurt you? Or try to hurt you?"

"No."

"Dump you?"

"No."

"..."

"...What?"

"Well?"

Dory sighed. "He didn't recognize me."

"Ok..."

"I know it doesn't seem all that important, " Dory groaned. "But usually it's me that forgets. And you help someone out and you don't see each other for a long time, it's heartbreaking when they don't notice you...and I bet, you don't even care."

"No, no," Marlin said. "I do. Please go on."

"Anyway," Dory continued, tearing up. "You want to tell them how much you missed them and that..."

"That?"

"That..." Dory blushed and looked away. "I don't know if I should say it. It's...it's embarrassing."

"I'm not gonna force you to tell me," Marlin remarked.

"...that...you love them..."whispered she.

"Hm?"

"You love them," Dory mumbled again.

Marlin crossed his arms. "One more time."

"*sigh* That you love them."

Marlin tried his best not to smile while Dory hung her head in shame, cursing herself for revealing her love for someone else to a very familiar stranger.

Nemo, on the other hand, had started to doze off.

Noticing this, Dory laughed slightly. "Hey."

"Hm?" asked Nemo, groggily.

"You can watch TV if you're getting bored," Dory stated. She turned towards Marlin. "You mind?"

"No, it's fine," Marlin agreed, trying to sound nonchalant. "In fact, maybe we should take this to the dining room."

Dory nodded and rose, picking up the bowls and walking into the kitchen. Marlin finds the dining room, which is a cream color. A large cabinet sits across from him, in front on it a small dining table with four chairs. He sits down and sighs, burying his face in his hands.

In the kitchen, Dory scratches her head. Why she would reveal all that information was a problem for her, due to the fact that she still had no idea whether she knew Marlin or not. She just found it so easy to speak to him. No reason as to that, either. Putting the bowls in the sink, she comes into the living room to see Nemo, who's eyes are currently glued to the television set. Smiling, she sits down next to him.

"So...um..."

"Nemo."

"Nemo," Dory continued. "Why did you say that you remembered me?"

"You and Dad, " Nemo remarked, his eyes leaving the screen and focusing on her. "You saved me and brought me back home, remember? From that orphanage..."

"Orphanage..."

"When I was kidnapped..."

"Kidnapped..."

"You guys went all over America just to find me and..." Nemo stopped, finally noticing the blank expression on Dory's face. "Dory? Are you okay?"

* * *

Marlin was on the verge of giving up. Dory didn't seem to remember him in the way he thought she would. Not that he didn't expect it, but he believed that her memory would've been triggered in some way. Sitting up, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed, not noticing as Dory emerged from the living room. She sat next to him quietly.

"Nemo..." she said. "He's...he's a smart kid."

"Always has been," Marlin replied, shrugging.

"Always?" she asked. "Always...no wonder."

"No wonder about what?" voiced Marlin with concern.

"He looks so familiar, like...like I've seen him from somewhere..."

Marlin leaned forward in anticipation. "Where?"

"Like...at...a bank..." Dory's face scrunched up in concentration.

"Keep going."

"And I think...I think he was trying to get someone's attention...and it was...I believe it was a man..,which was probably you..."

She broke down in tears, wailing uncontrollably. Marlin pulled her into a hug and let her cry, stroking her hair as he tried to calm her down.

"Why? I don't...I don't understand! ! ! Why...why am I cryiiiiiing? ! ! What...what happened to make...make me...so...so...so...saaaaaad?"

Marlin slowly released his grip on Dory, looking straight at her. She returned the gaze through teary eyes.

"Me."

"Huh?"

"I made you cry, Dory!" Marlin exclaimed, surprising her.

"I...I don't understand..."Dory started.

"That day at the bank," interrupted Marlin. "I didn't recognize you! At all! And that's what you wanted! After three years, we finally see each other, finally get a small chance to reunite and I don't remember you! Not you! Me! And even with all we've been through with trying to locate Nemo and the help we received from all the people we met...you'd think that you'd be the one to forget, but...it was me. I don't how it happened..."

Dory's eyes widened.

"Marlin?"

"Well, that didn't take too long," he groaned, pulling back.

"Um..."

"Yeah, I know," Marlin scoffed. "I'm a jerk, right? A real jerk..."

"Well..."

"Wait, you were trying to get my attention back there, weren't you? When I left?"

"I..."

"I cut you off, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"I'm sorry! Alright?" He threw his hands up in the air. " You can rat me out if you want to..."

"Mar..."

"No sympathy needed. I learned my lesson..."

"MARLIN!" Dory exclaimed, causing him to jump.

He slowly turned back towards her. "...yes?"

She shook her head and smiled happily. "You remembered me."

"...Wha?"

"Marlin, you remembered me," she beamed. "I mean, I don't remember why that satisfies me and all, but it does."

"Wait." Marlin looked at her in disbelief. "You're...not angry?"

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," remarked Dory. "Why be angry?"

After a few seconds of silence, a smile appeared on his face. "That's good."

Dory blushed and looked away, twisting her hair. "Oh, thanks."

"Hey. It's no problem," he replied, a smirk suddenly appearing on his face. "But...by the way...was that the truth? What you said earlier?"

"What?" questioned she, truthfully.

"That...well..." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "You love me."

"Huh?" Her face was a complete blank.

He repeated it, louder. "You love me."

"One more time. A little loude..."

"You love me."

Dory blinked. "Repeat what you just said.

Marlin sounded out the words. "You. Love. Me."

"Now, when did I say that?" Dory chuckled, clearly confused, terrified and excited at the same time.

"Before you recognized me," he moaned, raising an eyebrow.

Dory scrunched up her face as if she was pondering on his words until her eyes lit up with surprise. "Oh! That!"

"Yes," Marlin sighed, glad that she was returning to her own self. "That."

"Really?" she asked, trying to deny her feelings. " What? Me? I mean, why would me of all people...not that...c'mon! I was just...you know...I didn't really...well, you wouldn't like me any..."

Her sentence was cut short when Marlin leaned in and gave her an abrupt, but passionate kiss. When he pulled away, she smiled sheepishly. "...way."

"I see no reason why not," he admitted. "Besides, I love you."

"But..." she started, hardly believing what had just happened. "My memory loss. How can you..."

"Dory, do you actually believe that I'm going to leave you just because you can't remember my son's name?"

"Well," said Dory,"most would."

Marlin sighed and took her hands in his. "If I can allow you of all people to assist me in finding my son, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind you being my girlfriend. So..."

He gasped, not expecting Dory to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you. So much. You have no idea how much that means to me."

He returned the gesture. "You're welcome."

Pulling away, Dory wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for another kiss...

"Dory, where is..."

Nemo stopped short at the scene before him. Both adults froze, unsure of how to react. After a few minutes, Nemo started to giggle. "Never mind. I'll look for it."

"*sigh* Nemo..." Marlin started.

"He said never mind," Dory, remarked, obviously not phased by the previous situation. "Besides, you owe me a kiss."

"I thought I already gave you a kiss," Marlin moaned.

"No, silly! I already did! Now, it's your turn."

"Dory, it was me who made the first move," he explained, getting irritated.

"No," she said, sure of herself. "That was me."

Marlin watched her pout and finally sighed. Knowing it was best not to argue with her, he closed the distance between them.

* * *

**Longest. Chapter. EVA! Wow, I never knew how much I wrote down. I thought it was a lot shorter than this. Anyway, once I was done, it kept screaming at me EPILOGUE! (No! Really! I couldn't get it out of my head!). So an epilogue it shall be. And a prequel is in development!**

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**BroadwayFanGirl91: Hello! I have a life here too, y'know! Stop pestering me about updates and...oh, I'm updating right now, aren't I? Don't worry, I'm not mad at you, lol. You and Sandra influenced me to add the extra stuff. *wink wink* And actually, I graduated earlier this year, so in reality, Dad doesn't want me to be on the computer too much.**

**icearrows1200: And here's another fluffy chapter!**

**sandra benson: Thanks! For the suggestion as well!**

**Disclaimer:*singing* Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...I wish I created that song.**

* * *

"Wait, is that the reason I'm all dressed up?"

"*sigh* Yes, Dory. Now, c'mon!"

"Okay, okay! Mr. Bossy..."

Marlin grabs Dory's hand and leads her to the car. It had been about two weeks since they confessed their love to each other and Dory had been begging for an official date ever since (of course, she didn't remember).

They had decided that this would be a casual date, a spur of the moment thing where they would decide along the way what they would do with four hours they had given themselves.

Marlin was a nervous wreck, constantly doubting himself that it would go well and wondering if she would get tired with their activities easily. It was highly unlikely, but with her memory, it could very well happen. He was so high-strung even Nemo had to intervene, trying his best to reassure his father that everything would go well. Even though dating was a world away from him, he knew there was some kind of spark between Dory and his father that would only ignite if they made the effort.

Dory, on the other hand, was just surprised that she even remembered the date. Despite the fact that Marlin had to remind her almost every day, she somehow kept it in mind, calmly waiting for the night out.

Sadly, when it came, she was more excited than ever.

She fussed about her outfit, constantly changing and switching until she finally settled on black slacks and blue and yellow striped one-shoulder and black platforms. It was ready the day before the date.

Gladly, Marlin had already decided on an outfit about a week before. It consisted of white short-sleeve with an orange vest, tan slacks and white vans. Of course, that wasn't an issue.

The waiting was. His nervousness caused the week that followed to go slower than ever. He was quite relieved when that Saturday came. He also wasn't surprised when Dory had promptly forgotten about the date. Getting into the car, Dory looked around at silent awe as Marlin started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. Stopping at a red light, he turned towards Dory, who had, to his surprise, turned to him at the same time.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What would you like to do in terms of tonight, that is.." he asked somewhat nervously. "It is our first date and all..."

"It is? !" she exclaimed, nearly causing Marlin to facepalm himself. 'Knowing' this, she sat up proudly, not noticing as Marlin glanced at her strangely as he continued to drive.

"Alright then," she said. "A moonlight walk."

"A moonlight walk?" he asked, surprised. "Where?"

"Where else? On the beach!"

Marlin raised his eyebrows. He had no idea that Dory would think of something like this. Of course, that also meant that she probably forget about it as soon as she arrived.

Which is exactly what happened.

As the date went on, Marlin expected that because she forgot about the walk that it wouldn't live up to his expectations.

Guess again.

Not only did it meet up to it, but it was also pretty interesting. Dory explained to him about moments in her past (despite the fact that she would jumble up the memories) while he did the same. After the beach, they had dinner where they were nearly kicked out of the restaurant for Dory's antics (her constant "epiphanies" were annoying everyone).

Marlin was silently glad that he was able to calm her down. But he wasn't amused by the fact that most of the guests thought it was an act. Including when Dory asked what act he a part of.

When that ordeal was over, Marlin couldn't help but smile to himself. Despite being embarrassed, he silently knew that he enjoyed Dory's quirkiness. But it was also a lot more fun to keep this little secret to himself.

Dory, on the other hand, was somewhat embarrassed that she couldn't contain her excitement. Marlin didn't seem too pleased with her behavior, so she tried her best to kept quiet during the rest of the date. Of course, that was very hard to do when he kept putting his arm around her shoulder in the car.

Or holding her hand when they standing in line for the movies.

Or nudging her affectionately when in the theater.

"Marlin?" she asked after they left the showing of.

"Hm?"

"Do you enjoy my company?"

"What?" He looked at her, somewhat surprised that she would ask that question.

"You know...after what happened in the restaurant...even though I'm not sure if I went to one..."

Marlin rolled his eyes playfully. " Don't worry about it."

"You didn't mind?" Dory asked, still concerned.

"It was...interesting."

"What was interesting?" she asked nonchalantly, completely forgetting what she had just said.

Marlin opened his mouth to speak, but only smiled and kissed her.

Best if they just forgot about the whole thing.

* * *

"Gill!"

Nemo ran towards a tall, lanky, young man who had black hair with gray highlights. He was wearing a black suit that was buttoned up and black hat with a white trim. He received Nemo with a hearty hug.

"Aw, look!" Dory crooned.

"Who's that?" Marie asked, walking towards Dory.

"That's Gill, Nemo's friend, " Dory explained, greeting her friend with a hug. "Chico...

"Nemo," Marie corrected.

"Nemo," Dory repeated, " told us that he helped kids escape from that 'orphanage'. He practically begged us to invite Bill..."

"Gill," Marie said.

"Gill...to the wedding," Dory continued, unphased.

"Well, I'm impressed," Marie remarked. "But he looks kinda young."

"Yeah, I know," agreed Dory. "Oh, there's Marlin. I'd better head to the room."

"Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," agreed Marie, nodding.

"What surprise?"

"Aw, forget it!" Marie laughed. "Go on!"

As Dory headed down the hallway of the hotel, Marie turned around to see Marlin enter the front doors. He was dressed in a brown overcoat.

"So, where's Dory?" he asked, eager to see his soon-to-be wife before the ceremony.

"You just missed her," Marie pointed out.

"Dad! Dad!" Nemo exclaimed, running up to Marlin with Gill in tow. "This is Gill!"

"So, you're the Gill I heard so much about," Marlin remarked, shaking Gill's hand.

"Yes, sir," Gill humbly replied.

Marlin chuckled. "You can just call me Marlin. Nemo has raved about you since the day I found him. He pestered me for days to put you on the guest list."

Gill shrugged, clearly flattered. "Well, it's an honor to be here, s- er, Marlin."

As they talked, they barely noticed as Nemo started sprinting towards the front door once more. "Peach! Bloat! Gurgle! Deb! Bubbles! Jacques!"

"What in the..." Marlin asked, turning around.

"My crew." Gill motioned towards the group. Nemo hugged a young woman, who had reddish-pink hair and was wearing an orange-red halter dress that hung right above her feet. Next in line was a teenage girl with bluish-white hair who wore a navy racer-back dress with a white trim and white platforms, a teenage boy with blonde hair tipped in purple sporting a cream-colored single-breasted suit, another teenage boy who had short, curly brown hair and wore a black double-breasted tuxedo that showed his pudgy figure, a preteen boy with golden hair who sported a navy blue suit and finally, a young man with red, cropped hair who wore a dark red three-piece tuxedo. As Marlin marveled at the number of people that Nemo had met, he nearly jumped when a hand fell on his shoulder.

"Dude," a familiar voice assured him. "Don't worry. It's just me."

Marlin smiled. "Hey, Crush! Er, Dude..."

Crush only laughed loudly and embraced him. His long yellow dreds were tied in a ponytail. He wore a short-sleeved shirt with a dark green tie and black slacks. Squirt emerged from behind him, beaming brightly. He had brown dreds that were also tied in a ponytail and tanned skin. He had on the same outfit as his father. As they conversed, Nemo, who was done reuniting with "The Runaways," gasped at the questionable figures approaching them.

"What's wrong, sharkbait?" Gill asked, only to feel Peach grab his chin and point it towards the direction Nemo was pointing in.

The first man was huge. He had short, spiky black-grayish hair and wore a long-sleeved dress shirt with a black ties and brown slacks. Then next one was tall and lean with cropped light brown hair, wearing a brown sack suit. The last one, who was very thin, had long black hair that covered his right eye and wore a green buttoned-up suit. All three ironically loomed over the larger group before them.

"Pardon me for asking," the first said with a rough Australian accent. "But do any of you know a mate named Marlin?"

The whole group remained silent, especially Nemo, unsure of how he knew his father. Crush, noticing the group, motioned for Marlin to turn around. None ever expected for Marlin to wave heartily. "Hey, Bruce! You made it!"

Peach almost gasped. "You know him?"

"Of course!" Bruce nearly exclaimed. "We met him along with Dory. While they were looking for his little boy." He bent down to Nemo's level. "You wouldn't happen to be him, would you?"

Nemo glanced towards Marlin, who only nodded. Emerging from behind a decreasingly protective Peach, he shook Bruce's outstretched hand. "Um, yeah. I'm Nemo."

"The name's Bruce, mate," he announced heartily. "And these are my pals, Anchor.." he motioned towards the brunet, "and Chum." He nodded towards the one with long hair.

Nemo smiled, somewhat at ease. Bruce stood up, letting Anchor and Chum formally introduce themselves. Approaching Marlin, he didn't expect to see Marie holding a conversation with him. "And who is this yankee sheila?"

As they talked, Nemo was busy greeting another guest. A young man with short, brown layered hair and dark brown suit, he greeted "The Runaways" respectively. "So, where 's Dory?"

The whole group went silent. Gill only shrugged. "Not sure, Nigel. Probably getting ready."

Meanwhile...

"Dory, you look beautiful!"

"You picked out a lovely dress!"

"Eh, it's okay."

The previous women sighed while Dory only giggled at her sisters. All three wore strapless purple dresses with sequined trims. "Guys, stop it. It's not like I'm getting married or anything."

"But, Dory," the youngest, Ellie, who was the only one without short-term memory loss, replied. "You are getting married."

"I'm getting married? !" Dory nearly exclaimed.

"She is? !" Aida and Diane replied, nearly causing Ellie to facepalm herself. The door opened in the midst of the excitement. Dory leapt up and nearly ran towards it, jumping into the outstretched arms of her father. "Dad! You made it!"

"What would you expect?" he asked, jokingly. "I can't believe this day is here already. Your wedding day to be exact. If your mother was here, she'd...never mind about that. The only thing that matters right now is your marriage. "

Dory only nodded.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" Aida asked, causing Ellie to sigh at her forgetfulness...

The moment had arrived. The whole crowd rose in unison as Marlin fidgeted nervously. He wore a white three-piece tuxedo with a coral vest and bowtie. Silently, he hoped that it didn't clash with her dress as she turned the corner to walk down the aisle.

He gulped down the gasp rushing into his throat.

Her hair was arranged in an updo, with small, slender curls caressing her face. The dress she wore was a ghostly white, a flowery sequined pattern adorned the top and the bottom and around the waist was a blue fabric belt that was pulled under a silver buckle.

He was, again, silently glad he hadn't seen her before the wedding...

"Now, by the power invested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Marlin swept up his Dory and spun her around once, ending with a deep, passionate kiss. Resounding applause came up from the crowd when they pulled away and starting strolling back down the aisle, hand in hand. Both could hardly believe that the moment had passed so quickly.

* * *

"Dory?"

Marlin stirred in his sleep, somewhat irritated by the noises his wife was making.

"Dory, please keep it down," he mumbled, desperate to get back to sleep.

"It's coming..."

"What?"

"It's coming," she repeated, rolling back and forth violently.

"What?"

"IT'S COMING!"

"OH! ! !" He exclaimed, nearly falling off the bed. Scrambling to put on some clothes. "The baby wasn't due for another week!"

"When was it supposed to be due anyway? !" Dory yelped. Marlin rolled his eyes, marveling at how his wife could still have short-term memory loss during labor pains. During the midst of the excitement, Nemo came into the room, yawning and stretching.

"Dad?"

"Nemo! Did we wake you? !"

"What's happening?" the 11-year-old moaned, rubbing his eyes.

Dory screeched in pain.

"Dory's having a baby..." Marlin quickly explained.

"But, I thought the doctor said..."

"Who cares what the doctor said!" Dory yelled, nearly falling as she stood up. "All I know is that I want OUT! ! !" Marlin ran over to steady her. He then told Nemo to get ready and to bring a pillow if he still was tired. Nodding, the young preteen left the room. After helping Dory get her clothes on, Marlin escorted her downstairs. Nemo trudged after, flinching every time Dory yelped. His father looked at the clock.

3:04 AM.

Perfect.

4 hours later...

"So, *yawn* what's so important about it?"

"*sigh* Shut up, Bloat!" Peach moaned, leaning on Gill as they searched for Dory's room. "They wouldn't tell us either."

"Hey! I think I see Nemo!" Bubbles nearly exclaimed.

Nemo and Marlin were fast asleep in the nearby waiting room, leaning against each other. As the small group entered, they noticed a physician seemingly trying to get their attention.

"Mr. Williams!"

"HUH?" Marlin sat up quickly, almost causing Nemo to slide out his chair as he slept, unphased."Dory! Is she okay?"

"She's fine," replied the doctor calmly. "But she wants to see you and your son. She's really excited..."

Before she could finish, he had already scooped Nemo in his arms and was jogging down the corridor, greeting the group as he went past. They said nothing, glancing between her and him.

"I take it she's had the baby," Marie replied, nonchalantly, not expecting a collective "Oh." to resound around the room. She sighed and led the group in Marlin's direction.

"Dory!"

"Over here, Marlin," she said weakly. He and Nemo walked over to the hospital bed, only to see Dory holding two bundles. One baby had orange hair and large green eyes, while the other, had black hair and small brown eyes. Marlin nearly burst in tears once he saw the twins.

"This is a girl," Dory announced happily, motioning to the redhead, "and this one's a boy." She motioned toward the brunette, who only yawned and stretched his hands out towards his father. Marlin smiled genuinely and carefully picked up his son, allowing him to grab his index finger with his tiny hand. As the others started to enter the room, the females started to gush over the newborns, receiving some eye rolls from the males. When his son started to fidget, Marlin handed him back to his mother and turned his attention to his daughter, who giggled as she was lifted in the air. Marie amused herself with the other twin.

"Aw, he's so cute!" she gushed.

"He looks just like you, Dory!" Deb said.

"Have you guys decided on the name yet?" Gill asked.

"Dory?" Marlin asked.

"I haven't had an idea for any yet," Dory replied, truthfully. "Wait, for what?"

"Names for the twins," Marie nearly sighed.

"Oh! ...Nope, still haven't got any."

"*sigh* Anyway," Marlin began, looking at the others for ideas.

"Chris and Christine," Marie answered.

"Nathan and Natalie."

"Mark and Maria?"

"Leslie and...I got nothing."

"Francis and Francesca."

"Sydney."

All heads turned to Dory. She repeated the name again. "I like Sydney. It reminds me of the first time Marlin and I met. Or at least I think it was the first time."

"It's good..." Marie admitted, nodding. "But is it for the boy or the girl?"

"The girl, of course," Dory chuckled. "I think..."

The group sort of murmured their approval for the name, still somewhat confused until Nemo spoke up. "Marlin, Jr.?"

Marlin just stared at his son. "What?"

"Isn't that what you were going to name me, Dad?" Nemo asked innocently, not realizing the emotion he invoked in his father.

"...Yes," Marlin finally choked. "Dory?"

"I think it has a nice ring to it," she agreed, receiving the twins from Bruce. "Sydney and Marlin...Jr." she turned to each of the twins respectively. As the others began to converse among themselves, Marlin sat on the bed next to his wife, grabbing her hands with his as they shared a quiet moment of happiness.

And this time, both were sure they would remember. Forever more.

* * *

**Edit: Naming the girl Sydney-inspired by BFG91 herself. Also, I'll give more detailed descriptions of all the characters in the prequel (this includes Marie, Dory's father and her sisters). **

**Finally! I'm still not entirely satisfied with this ending (or this chapter, for that matter), but for right now, this is all I can do. The prequel is still in the works. I plan to start on it soon. But for now, I think I'm going to head over to my AiW fic and see if I can get that posted as well. Probably a better update schedule too. BTW, inspiration for Marlin's tux is here: http : / / www. mlo . me /upen/m/201007/Attractive-White-Single-Breasted-Button-Lapel-Worsted-Groom-Wedding-Tuxedo-31088-1. jpg , and Dory's dress is here: ****http : / / media. onsugar. com/files/2010/12/49/2/1090/10904896/5a4424fe0d783513_beautiful-strapless-wedding-dresses. jpg**

**Reference: Yankee sheila-I learned this while reading an Archie comic, lol, but it's usually what a man of Australian descent would call a woman if he considers her attractive. So, you may or may not assume of the possible future relationship of Marie and Bruce. :)**

**Flames don't work well in water, people. But constructive criticism and other reviews are welcome. :)**


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